Libyan Jews' Organization (Or Chadash)

An organization founded following the forced expulsion of Jews from Libya in 1948–1949 and 1967, representing the approximately 130,000 descendants of the Libyan Jewish community living primarily in Israel, Italy, and the United States. Or Chadash ("new light") documents the culture, customs, and history of the Jews of Tripolitania and Cyrenaica, whose origins date back to Antiquity. The organization maintains archives of communal registers and photographs saved during the expulsions, and advocates for international recognition of the refugee status of Libyan Jews and the restitution of their property. It manages the Museum of the Libyan Jewish Community in Netanya and organizes hillulot for revered rabbis of the Libyan tradition.

Sources & resources

• Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World — Brill
• Encyclopaedia Judaica — 2e éd., Keter/Macmillan